Echoes
by Theresa471
Summary: Revised edition... Captain Lee Crane of the Seaview once again is caught up in another nightmare.


Echoes

It would seem as if Captain Lee Crane was hearing things the past few days.

Ever since he and Rose Marie had come back from Texas and the test flight. He's been feeling as if someone was trying to reach out to him.

And Crane considered himself a calm, rational, patient man, even with the scientists and researchers. Who weren't part of the Seaview's regular personnel roster.

He'd tried to mention it a few times to Dr. Jamieson and wife about it. Even though they would understand some of the man's frustration and meticulous demand for perfection.

The Admiral had spotted the tiredness in the Captain's face, while he'd mention if again about the echoes. He would be hearing. His action was just barely in time for Dr. Jamieson, on whether he should place Lee on medical leave once again.

But he decided not to. Especially since the Seaview has a full load of testing to be done for the Institute. And others in the United States, including Humpback whales, for which a certain doctor name Wayland Jennings wishing to count them having to be an endangered species.

Lee had muttered under his breath, as he was checking off their cargo manifests of non scientific supplies. He'd found this to be really boring after the last two test flights.

/

Later after going off duty from the Control Room to sign the log. Chip Morton handing it to him, looking bewildered as to why Lee was looking. As if he had not slept in a week, he was worried for his friend of late, along with everyone else including Doctor Jamieson.

Lee jolted awake out of his sound sleep in his cabin on the Seaview.

He rubbed his eyes and tried to determined what it was that had waken him. He stifled a yawn and finally realized what it was. There were noises coming from his bath room. It was his wife coming off duty from the lab at that particular moment.

She slowly reached for the soap and grabbed the blue wash cloth. She clicked the faucet off and silently crept into the sleeping area thinking she didn't wake her husband.

Although she tried to remain as quiet as possible, the door creaked and alerted Lee of her presence. All she saw was Lee's stare having gotten up to face her.

"What's wrong Lee?" She asked with only a questioning look. Before her face softened. "I know it's just me, you're been so stressed lately."

"Yeah. I know, thank you, darling. I just felt or rather heard those echoes once again. I've been thinking maybe it has something to do with the last test flight and the worm hole. it could be that someone or something is trying to make contact."

Later in his dream state.

There was icy cold salt water in his mouth, his nose and eyes, as he was sinking, drowning in an ocean that had always been his friend over the years. Fighting a deep panic urge to breath in that world certainly be a real killer. Lee kicked out desperately for the surface moving past the drowning wreckage from the flying sub one.

So much for trying, he thought comically. Then the surface shattered around him into a thousand glittering glassy chard of light and he gasped in a grateful breath of air, turning over to try floating on his back.

His rib-cage throbbed from the impact of the crash and his ears were ringing from a crack in the head. No doubt a concussion for sure. Dr. Jamieson will no doubt agree to that particular fact.

He explored the back of his head for damage, his thoughts started to come back into order, clearing slowly, like his blurred vision, darkness fell around the edge of his mind, threatening to pull him under. He was aware that he shouldn't answer the vague call of sleep. Lee none the less found his eyes drifting shut against his will, the walls of the waves feet soothing around his tired aching body.

He woke up quickly, startled for the moment. While Rose Marie saw his face when she looked up at her husband's face.

"Lee, what is going on?" Sitting up in a position to get a good look at him.

Wincing in pain, Lee twisted and glared at Rose Marie. "That's it Lee, I' m calling Dr. Jamieson to have you checked out."

/

Harriman Nelson looked out at the sea through the Seaview's transparent windows. The light reflected nicely on his semi Reddish brown hair mixed in with some grey on the sides. It hadn't been long since leaving port. But he was tired. They were heading out to sea to begin the tests, otherwise everything had seem normal for the moment.

Commander Morton had come up to him despite the lateness of the hour. "Sir, Doctor Jamieson wishes you to come to sickbay. It would seem their is an issue going on with Lee, he needs to talk with you about it." He looked up to the Admiral.

"All right Chip, I will go check it out." He walked through past the radio shack to exit out to the second level for sickbay.

Nelson started out this voyage so full of energy.

When he walked into sickbay. "Everything alright?" Jamieson looked up from Lee Crane's medical chart.

"No, sir, it seems Lee is suffering strange dreams to have his brain wave pattern having to be altered." He looked at the Admiral some what confused.

"How is that possible Doc. Unless Lee suffered more damaged then we thought with the last test flight?"

"There is a good possible chance Harriman. The lab is checking it out now, we will know in a few hours the results of those tests." Doc advised.

"Very well Doc just keep me posted. Oh, before I forget, how is Rose Marie taking this latest episode?"

"Not well at all Admiral. I sent her back to her quarters to try and sleep a little. I had given her a sedation for now to sleep."

/

With the latest medical issue. Dr. Jamieson had insisted, and he ordered Lee needed some down time with the last two tests. He'd to admit that he was still a little shaky even thinking about it. Lee needs help a great deal, but he won't admit it, along with Rose Marie having to be scared of losing him.

When Doc had left him in sickbay. He was getting ready to head back to his quarters. When Lee reached his destination. He found Admiral Nelson deep in a conversation with Rose Marie inside. They were no doubt discussing details about him along with the mission and her work in the lab.

He stood a few steps away from the door, his face lit up with a smile. Otherwise he just over looked it for the moment.

When Nelson looked up to see Lee. Smiling broadly, he gave Lee a light pat on the shoulder and said. "Well, it looks like you're ready to paint the town red." Admiral Nelson inquired with his dry sense of humor.

With a glance at the Admiral. Lee replied a little nervously. "And besides Doc let me out of his grips for this evening." With a gleam in his eye. "It was his idea, sir." He replied trying to come up with something fast.

"I'm sure it was Lee, well. I won't say a word to him, can we?" He replied with a slight grin that told Lee. His mentor was just pulling his chain.

Smiling, as he realized he'd been had, Lee Replied. "Rose Marie, I will be able to relax having to be in sickbay. I won't with Doc constantly watching me every second or his techs."

She chuckled. While Nelson left the two alone for now. He was thinking. Maybe he was better without her...

Sometime later he drifted off to sleep...

Lee Crane awake to the sound of beeping machine and his head throbbing.

He opened his eyes forcing them shut the minute he looked into the bright lights above him.

"Too bright." He mumbled to himself and those around him.

"Oh! your awake!", He heard a familiar voice, then he remembered. It was Tobar speaking to him from inside the worm hole.

Lee made out the sound of foot steps walking away and returning. "Okak, you can open your eyes now."

Lee lifted his lids again, smiling at the much dimmer lightening.

"Where am I exactly?" Looking at Tobar, even though he's supposed to be sound asleep in his quarters, while laying next to his wife.

"In the medical bay on the planet of Hepler. You were pretty banged up with the flight, you had with your wife. She doesn't remembered, because she had blacked out at the time going through the worm hole. Your been here ever since until your able to come out of the coma."

"Have I been here the whole time?" He recalled snippets of things. Someone finding him inside the flying sub, the breathing tube being taken out, however he couldn't draw anything else from his memory.

"You're been in and out. But this is the first time you're been lucid, since you won't be remembering that you had. Including with having normal behavior once again."

"Do you remember anything else?" Tobar at him curiously.

He attempted to shrug, but winced at the pain that ran through his shoulders. "Just things here and there but nothing too important. I think."

Cranes presses his lips. "That's probably a combination of a nasty injury your head your gotten, along with the vaccine that was given to you." Tobar announced.

When will I be going back?" He asked.

"Very soon, Dr. Samuels need to check out you once again." He replied.

"It's a no wonder I felt as it I was hearing "Echoes" from with-in my mind."

"Correct Captain." Tobar replied along with helping the captain up from his bed to try and walk around. "Dr. Samuels would wish to speak with you about the entire process of going back."

/

Mean while on board the Seaview with the mission going forward. In the forward crew's quarters Kowalski as writing a letter to his wife when he was done, he slipped it under his pillow.

He was tired of the recent missions having basically nothing to do.

Everyone felt the same way. Including Patterson was lying on his bunk directly above Kowalski's while Commander Riley came over to check up on them. "Hey Ski, another letter to your wife Sandy?"

"Yeah, Stu, I am just bored mostly after the last two missions. I' m in need of some action at least."

"Maybe we will Ski with this one. With the Admiral not to be looking all that happy the past few days with the captain."

"There hasn't been too much scuttlebutt going on as to what has been going on with Captain Crane." Kowalski says to Riley.

"What ever is going on. He's not been the same since the diving belt incident?" Riley says before moving off. "I need to get back to the Control Room, I have duty watch tonight, along with Commander O' Brien."

"Sure right Riley." Kowalski says before going back to writing the rest of the letter to his wife Sandy.

/

Lee Crane was wondering on whether Nelson knew anything on what was going on with him in the first place. Or the past incident had affected Nelson as deeply as it had him. He knew the risks, and it wasn't his fault.

He was listening to Dr. Samuels about he was getting back into own reality and to his own life, Rose Marie and his children mostly.

Sighing he tried to understand, hopefully he would just wake up from this night mare. He replied to the doctor.

"With this syringe, it will put you back into your own reality, it will take a few minutes to work Captain, so please lay down back on the bed."

"One thing, how will I explain all this to my friends, my wife and most of all Admiral Nelson" He stiffened in alarm and blurted out.

"You don't Lee, well not exactly, at least not as for they will know. Everyone will think you're be fine again along with the echoes having to be gone."

"Yes, I am very sure Captain, just relax while I place the syringe into your right arm. You won't be able to to remember a thing after this other than the fact you were having a problem with your sleep of late. Here we go." He injects the liquid into his right arm.

/

"He's coming around Admiral. His brain wave pattern is now back to normal." Dr. Jamieson was checking with his instruments in sickbay. While Rose Marie was watching for her husband to wake up.

Hours earlier a message was received from Alana. She had knew what was going on with Captain Crane, she was able to advised all of them of the damage that was done to Captain Crane's brain wave pattern having been altered, and what exactly had happened to him during the worm hole effect module test flight.

Lee could hear voices all around him, including hearing the voices of Nelson, Doc Jamieson and Rose Marie.

He tried to focus with his eyes still a little bit fuzzy.

"Lee don't try to open your eyes fully. Until your able to adjust to the lighting. Nod it you understand the command?" Doc ordered with Nelson and Rose Marie looking on, while she sighed.

"Lee, it's Rose Marie. You can open your eyes, as we know what has been going on with you being injured. Alana was able to tell is the truth with her abilities. Welcome back Sweetie." She softly gives him a soft tender kiss onto his cheek.

/

Sometime Later

"So what your saying I was somewhat of a shell of a man. Just not having some sort of a soul so to speak, until I was able to get back my "marbles" ?"

"Yes, Lee, it's how Alana and Dr. Jamieson had explained it to me, but your back now for real."

"One thing for sure. I need to spend more time with my wife and children." As he gets up from the lounge chair at the beach house on such a lovely morning. He takes his wife hand to go take a walk on the beach with his boys being watched by the nanny inside the house.

THE END


End file.
